There's a new section on Living in Nyon called 1260+ This is a selection of useful and interesting articles, news, features and radio interviews to be found on other English websites across Switzerland. We'll give you the links to each article or programme for you to click through to keep you up to date with all things Swiss! Why 1260? This is the post code/zip code of Nyon. In this selection there are articles on fun street signage in Switzerland, fondues in Geneva, a news item on tougher road restrictions, links to a consumer advice radio programme, advice on renting skis and more.1260+ Nyon, Geneva, LausanneUseful articles - Two articles on Know it All Passport . The first is on a unusual Christmas gift idea - presents made from authentic Swiss Army Blankets. Click here The second is on Insiders Tips to Geneva . From flea markets to fondues, this is a particularly useful article for newcomers and visitors to the city. Click here Two articles on Moms-in-Vaud The first is an article on the various outdoor ice rinks that have now opened in Geneva and in the Canton of Vaud Click here The second is on the Garbage/ Rubbish bag tax which will be introduced on the 1st January 2013. Click here News and Features on Geneva Lunch News item entitled Tougher Road Measures in January Spelled Out . Click here Feature series on Refugees and Asylum seekers in Switzerland. Click here Two articles on Newly SwissedA Primer on Renting Skis, In this article the author refers to a ski shop in the German speaking side of Switzerland, however the information is still very useful for anyone who is about to rent skis this season. Click here Funniest examples of signage in Switzerland - We love this one! An article with great photos to make you smile! Click here Diccon Bewes author of Swiss Watching Fun feature on The (almost) Swiss President of the United States - Click hereRadio Interviews World Radio interviews available to listen again - Series of radio programmes on consumer advice. From pollutants in outdoor jackets to travel insurance tips . Click here

Westlake Church Celebrates 25 Years this weekend - Westlake Church will celebrate its 25th anniversary this weekend, the 13th and 14th of October. It is an event that reflects on its past, celebrates its present and looks toward its future. The public is warmly invited to the Westlake Nyon church service on Sunday the 14th at 5pm. A reception will follow the service. For more information on the church, see their website here *Nancy Heiman-Lind, one of the members of the church, tells us more. "Westlake is an evangelical, interdenominational, English-speaking Christian church in the midst of French-speaking Switzerland. Our members come from a multitude of nations, with different backgrounds, cultures, languages and experience. Some members are Swiss, but most are not. About a third of Westlakers have lived in Switzerland for less than three years and about a third have lived in Switzerland for more than 20 years – the rest fall in between. Up to 20% of the congregation is new each year, so if you are new to the area – you are not alone! Our faith and our shared experience of transition, adaptation and integration are ties that bind us together. Photo above, the church building in the centre of Nyon in Rue Juste Olivier 6 -see Google map hereThe history of the church The church came about when just over 25 years ago, Philippe Berthoud a retired Swiss missionary returning from India, recognised the increasingly international character of La Côte. He had a vision to establish a church that would reach out to the English-speaking population on the western shores of Lac Léman. Westlake Church began in 1987 in the Salle Communale in Bogis-Bossey with just 11 Swiss and expatriate families. Today the Westlake Church Association encompasses two sister churches: Westlake Nyon and Westlake Lausanne. Westlake Nyon, located in Nyon centre, is a dynamic church that has 150 people attending Sunday services. Westlake Lausanne, an equally dynamic church of the same size, was launched in 2007 and is based in St-Sulpice. Photo above: Philippe and Wendi Berthoud The vision that established Westlake remains relevant and meaningful in our growth-oriented and international region. It continues to inspire Westlake ministries and service to local communities along the Lac Léman and farther afield. Westlake is evangelical. Teaching, whether from the pulpit or through any of Westlake’s programs, is gospel-based. Worship is in a contemporary style, with both contemporary and traditional music. A commitment to evangelism makes Westlake a genuinely warm and friendly church, within the congregation and as we reach out into the local community. To quote one of our members: “Relationship is what draws people to Westlake, and relationship is what keeps people involved.” Westlake is interdenominational and not linked to any specific denomination and it is self- governing. People from Protestant and Catholic churches - Anglicans, Baptists, Presbyterians, Lutherans, Methodists, Pentecostals, Orthodox, Catholics, Messianic Jews and others – all worship together. Westlake is diverse too. We are multi-lingual, multi-national and multi-cultural. Many people have grown up or have lived in different countries through their lives. Members come from a variety of professions and backgrounds, and bring an amazing range of skills, talents and experience which are often offered in service to the church. Photo above: Church members running at a May group retreat We are also mission-oriented. Support to missions, both international and local, is an important commitment. At least 10% of the church’s income goes to mission activities. Westlake currently supports international mission projects in Rwanda, Romania, India, Kenya and Nepal, and supports local missions such as “LiNK – The Au Pair Connection” and support to asylum seekers. Westlake also sponsors several missionaries. The church has a strong engagement with the organisation “Servons Nyon” (“Serve the City”) which provides volunteer service in the region, reinforcing ties with the local population and bridging cultural and social barriers. Photo above: A church mission trip to Cyeza, Rwanda, a community with which the church has a close relationship and where the group built sanitary facilities for a local school. "From the first day we came to Westlake, we felt welcomed and included. We had found a warm, supportive community that we could be part of." – Church member Westlake is dynamic. “We are allergic to boring.” A range of ministries, programmes and activities connect with a wide variety of people by meeting varied interests and needs. In addition to weekly church services which include crèche and Sunday school, Westlake offers opportunities for learning, growth, prayer and fellowship through men’s bible study, women’s bible study, home groups, family ministries, young adults and student groups, and youth and children’s groups. “Westlake is a diverse group of people, living real life together… There is something for everyone.” Westlake is for you. Whether you are long-term resident, new to Switzerland, here for a short stay and want to learn more about Christian beliefs, values and faith, we welcome you. 25 years ago, Westlake Church started with a vision to reach out to the English-speaking population on the western shores of Lac Léman with Christian teaching and fellowship. This vision still shines . Please join us. You will find a warm welcome”. *Nancy has been living in the region for 20 years. As a certified Cross-Cultural trainer, she gives seminars on cross-cultural issues. All photos above, courtesy of Westlake Church.

On the day of the U.S presidential elections, American readers of this site might be interested to know that World Radio Switzerland will be broadcasting coverage of the elections on Wednesday 7th November from 02:00 a.m. There have been many programmes on WRS throughout the past seven days which have covered issues concerning Americans living in Switzerland. One of these programmes (called The Connectors), discussed American patriotism from afar, taxation, banking and the Foreign Accounting Tax Compliance Act (FACTA). If you are interested in hearing this programme again, just click on this link here. On a lighter note, Living in Nyon came across this busker yesterday playing guitar in the underpass under Nyon railway station. Brian from Charleston-South Carolina, is touring the world whilst playing flamenco to passers by. He was previously in Spain, but he moved on to Switzerland as he says "not only are the people generous and friendly here, but as this country is in a better economic shape, I can earn more money (particularly in Geneva and Nyon) I can even "save a little!" Brian also predicted that the Barack Obama would win the U:S presidential elections. This time tomorrow, we should know the answer and if Brian the Busker is right!

It's the start of the pantomime season (oh, yet it is!) beginning with the Geneva Amateur Operatic Society's production of Sinbad the Sailor. The GAOS website says- this "production is packed with all the usual ingredients of a classic English pantomime: the struggle of good overcoming evil, love at first sight, and loads of magic, songs, daft comedy and innuendo! Children of all ages will enjoy Sinbad's adventures as he lurches from one calamity to another in his attempts to rescue the beautiful Princess Yasmin from the clutches of the evil magician Vazar. On the way he also encounters a bloodthirsty pirate, a hideous sea-serpent and a giant man-eating bird. Come and watch as Sinbad, his resourceful pet monkey and his hapless gang of henchmen eventually triumph over adversity" The production will run on Friday 23rd, Sat 24th and Sunday 25th November and Friday 30th November. For full details and booking, click here

Nyon may be thousands of miles away from the beaches of Ipanema, but this Friday 19 and Saturday 20 October, Brazil will be coming to Nyon with a big SambaFest! It's the first to be held in the town and there's lots of activities and music planned on its agenda. According to Meteo Suisse, the sun is due to shine too, although the temperature may not be as hot as in Brazil ! At the SambaFest there will be Samba of course, Brazilian food, workshops, Capoeira plus "lambada and many other authentic South American dance forms will be on display and lessons will be available for all those who want to get into the spirit during the festival!" There will also be a performance by Brazilian guitarist (and resident of Nyon), Jose Barrense Dias. According to the Samba Fest site, "International critics have designated Jose Barrense Dias as one of the great masters of Brazilian guitar and ambassador of deep and unalterable music" . He will be the guest of honour at the opening of SambaFest tonight Friday, October 19. For the full programme of events, see the website (which has information in English) here See the short video clip here.

Last week the editor of Living in Nyon went behind the scenes of the prestigious Beau-Rivage Palace hotel in Lausanne (member of the leading hotels of the world) on a Léman Events organised visit. Those who had signed up for this event, were able to go down into the depths of the hotel to see its vast wine cellar - photo below just one small section of the "cave" which houses wines from around the world to cater to all tastes. Visitors were also shown one of the hotel's bedrooms with view over the lake. They heard how 10 world presidents had all been in the hotel at the same time and had eaten in the hotel's spectacular ballroom (during the G8 summit which took place in Evian in France in 2003). Visitors on the tour saw the famous two Michelin star Sophie-Pic restaurant, the hotel's spa and they got the opportunity to ask the hotel's manager a variety of questions on the logistics and challenges of running such a hotel. This was an interesting event and a full article on it will appear in the Spring 2013 issue of Hello Switzerland magazine. Click here to find out more about this magazine. If you are interested in attending similar events next year, from golf days to hotel visits, to networking events, check the Léman Events site out here. Photo below- A member of staff wheels a serving trolley through the corridors in the bowels of the hotel.

On Saturday 29 September it's the Désalpe in St Cergue. This annual ceremony is a tradition in Switzerland and marks the start of Autumn. The "Désalpe" means the descent of the cows from the hills down to the lower pastures so they can be wintered inside. During the descent, the cows are decorated with flowery head dresses and they are paraded through the village to the delight of an onlooking crowd. This year will be the 25th Désalpe and there's lots on the programme for the celebration. Traditional folk music, flag twirling, stands with food and wine are all on offer including artisanal products. Note: this is a very popular day out for many, so parking can be tricky, it's best to take the St Cergue train up to the event. There are extra trains arranged for this day. The first train leaves Nyon at 07:01 arriving St Cergue at 07:34. The parade begins at 08:30. Don't arrive late or you will miss the spectacle! It's a fun day out for all the family. Also this weekend, there are plenty of music concerts on the agenda in Nyon. There will be a classical music concert on Sunday 30th September at 17:00 at the Conservatoire of Nyon. See poster below. On Saturday there will be rock at the Usine a Gaz with bands " Widdershins" and the "Deadline Experience" playing at 21:30. Doors open at 21:00. Over at the Parenthese on Saturday, band Alvin Zealot are on the line up. Doors open from 20:00

In just over a week's time it's the Léman Expat Fair! This event will take place in Lausanne from 11:00-17:00 on Sunday 4th November. This fair, now in its 6th year is where expats and members of the public can go to find around 140 business, services, clubs and groups all under one roof. All of these have experience in serving the English-speaking community. Living in Nyon will be present at the fair at Booth Number 100, so do come and say "Hello!" It's a good opportunity to ask questions about living in the Nyon area, but also to buy the "Living along Lac Léman" book. This book is a collection of columns that have been published in La Côte newspaper (in English), together with other articles and photographs, it's a light hearted look at living in the lake Geneva area. It makes for the perfect gift, Christmas present and is useful to have if you have just arrived here and want to know more about the customs and traditions of living in the Romandie part of Switzerland. Read a review of the book here by Diccon Bewes, author of Swiss Watching ( Best book of 2010 - Financial Times) Come and have a copied signed by the book's author (also the Living in Nyon editor). Note: the editor will not be at the stand until approximately 13:30 on Sunday 4th, but there will be a representative of Living in Nyon to sell books and answer questions from 11:00 onwards. According to the organisers of the fair, no matter what your current level of integration is, "whether you're here for a lifetime or just passing through, you're bound to find something new!" Check out all the exhibitors that will be at the fair here. There will also be light snacks and lunches available all day at the coffee corner and restaurant. There will be sand art and face painting for children and opportunities to speak to experts on hand during the day to help you with your expat questions. There will be an "Art Corner" to view paintings, photographs, sculpture, etc, and to find art courses! There will also be "career enhancement" advisers present. Want to know more about job hunting in Switzerland? Listen to this (recently broadcast) radio programme about the mistakes expats make when job hunting in this country. At the fair there will be performances from the theatre group the "Village Players". Listen to an interview with them here on World Radio Switzerland recorded at the beginning of this year. So there's a lot going on at the Léman Expat Fair. There are prizes to be won too such as a night's stay in Gstaad, a dinner voucher for 200chf, wine tasting for 10 people, and 500 chf worth of travel on CFF! See you there! For full information on the fair, location, parking directions etc, see the website here. French/ English conversation exhange A living in Nyon reader has contacted the site to see if there is a reader who would like to exchange his French conversation with English conversation with another reader. For further information contact Régis-email regis_boudet@hotmail.com

The Poster for the 2013 Paléo Festival Nyon was launched last week, you can read all about its design and about Marion Erard, the student who designed the poster here. Paléo will take place next year from 23rd to 28th July. The line-up will be revealed on Tuesday 16 April and tickets go on sale on Wednesday 24 April 2013. If you want to avoid the mad rush for tickets in 2013, then there is always the option to buy a 6 day pass at this time of year. Starting 4th of December until 21st of December, you can buy your pass for the festival on the Paléo website (limited to 2000 passes) or at the Paléo Shop (unlimited until 21 December) Price: CHF 325.- (adults) / 275.- (students and reduced tariffs). No booking charge at the Paléo Shop (however, payments with credit cards are not accepted at the Paléo Shop). Full details here Caribana also sells tickets in advance for 2013 The Caribana Music Festival also recently unveiled its poster for 2013. The poster which comes with a funky Pirate theme was designed by Emile Fessler, a 22 year old student at Eracom (Ecole Romande d' art et de communication) in Lausanne. Caribana are also releasing tickets for sale in advance for concerts next year. See website here. The festival will take place from the 5th-9th June 2013Tickets for either festivals would make great Christmas presents!

Tomorrow Saturday 10th November, the IWCN (International Women's Club of Nyon) Big Charity Bazaar will take place in Nyon. This bi-annual event is a big fund raiser for local and international charities and a great opportunity for expats to meet over a bite to eat at the bistro at the bazaar, to buy second hand English books, toys, home made jams, and gifts, Christmas presents etc. There's a tombola too with lots of prizes too. The event will take place in the centre of Nyon at the Salle Communale from 10:00- 16:00 and makes for a fun morning or afternoon out for everyone. See you there! Photos above and below of previous bazaars. More second hand English books this weekend in Geneva If you are in Geneva, you don't need to miss out on the opportunity to buy second hand books as the English Library is also having their Autumn 2012 Book Sale which will take place over the next three days. It begins on Friday from 10:00 -18:00, Saturday 10:00- 17:00 and from Sunday 12:00- 16:00. Around 20,000 second-hand books in English will be on sale, fiction and non-fiction for children and adults, classified by subject including special books and collectors’ items, DVDs and CDs. See site for details

Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS) have decided to name one of its planes (an Airbus A320) after the city of Nyon. This is because the town is close to Geneva airport, because it such an attractive place for both residents and visitors, and due to the large number of companies who have chosen to base themselves in the Nyon region. There will be an official launch of the name at the château of Nyon on Friday, November 30. "Prangins International" organise many events throughout the year for its members, from a "drop in" drinks every Friday at the village auberge, to Thursday coffee mornings at the café du chateau. On November 30th, the club will be organising a pub crawl around Nyon. Check out their site for further details. Photo above - the beach at Prangins Moms night out on 28th November. There will be a moms night out in Nyon organised by the website Moms in Vaud. See here for details.

For those readers heading off to the talk on Swiss schooling tonight, a reminder that the closest parking is at La Combe shopping centre. The Perdtemps car park is approximately a 10 minute walk from the Uni Global Union. Nyon train station is a 5 minute walk from UNI Global Union. For all parking options in Nyon, see link here UNI Global Union is at 8-10 Avenue Reverdil, 1260, Nyon. See link and street view here